10 New Orleans bars that make cocktails right

If the upcoming Tales of the Cocktail has whet your appetite for a top-shelf cocktail experience, here’s a list of 10 bars that we can recommend without reservation. This should tide you over until next Friday’s Lagniappe, which will include The Times-Picayune’s annual 100 Great Places to Drink bar guide.

Chris Hannah, who tends the bar in his white jack and black bow tie, and his fellow bartenders here are as comfy putting a fresh spin on the bar’s namesake cocktail as they are pouring house-made creations.

Bartender Christine Jeanine Nielsen has upped the ante at this lobby bar, with her inventive takes on the classics, such as the Bloody Mary, as well as her own out-of-the-box creations. For more well-made classic drinks, visit the Polo Club Lounge in the Windsor Court.

Co-owners Neal Bodenheimer and Kirk Estopinal were named “ambassadors” by Tales of the Cocktail for a reason. Cure features perhaps the most consistently staffed bar as well as a deep offering of bitters, syrups and tinctures for experimenting.

Bar chef Lu Brow long ago embraced the cocktail craze and is well-known for her seasonal drink menu, including the steal-of-deal daily special for $5. The bar serves 25 cent martinis at lunch with the purchase of an entree.

It’s easy to miss, with is nondescript exterior, but this Mid-City bar actually offers an upscale experience when it comes to specialty cocktails. Bartender T. Cole Newton is seriously into mixology that won’t break the bank.